Locomotive driving wheel



Aug. 20, 1940. C, E HE|I| |G 4 `2,212,098

LocoMoTIvE DRIVING WHEEL I Filed sept. 24, 1937 l .2v sheets-sheet 1 lNvx-:NTR

CHneLEs E. HEnJ;

A ORNE Aug. 20, 1940. c. E. HEILIG LOCOMOTIVE DRIVING WHEEL 2 heats-sheet 2 Filed Sept. 24, 1937 A ORNE vPatented Aug. 20, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENTfo-FFlcs N Charles E. Heilig, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application September 24, 1937, Serial No. 165,57)l

8 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates generally to locomotive driving wheels and more particularly to an improvement in the general type of wheel shown in Fawcett Patent No. 2,065,217.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved combination of elements arranged in a cooperative structural and functional manner that will retain the fundamental characteristics of the Fawcett type wheel while at the same time providing a wheel that is economical in manufacture and efficient in operation together with having considerable strength consistent with minimum weight.

' Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of my improved wheel;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section viewed upwardly on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 but taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1; 4

Fig. 'I is a circular section taken on the line 'I-'I of Fig. l.

In the specific embodiment `of the invention which is shown herein for purposes of illustration,- the driving wheel is integrally cast and includes a driving wheel center having an axle hub `I and a crankpin hub 2 joined by a reducedneck portion 3. These hubs and the juncture 3 are preferably of uniform axial depth and solid throughout. A rim 4 upon which is normally mounted a tire (not shown) is preferably imperforate around its periphery and is connected to the driving wheel center by inner and outer substantially triangular hollow walls 5 and 6 con-` nected by a concave-convex perforated disc generally indicated at 'I. The hubs and rims respectively form the bases of the inner and outer triangular Walls. The inner triangular walls 5 extend across the reduced neck 3 and for substan- I tial distances as indicated at 8 and 9 around the circumference of the hubs I and 2. The outer triangular Walls 6 also extend around rim 4 between substantially the same radial planes which `dei-lne the circumferential limits 8 and 9 of the inner triangular wall. From the foregoing it is seen that these inner and outer triangular wall portions extend around the wheel for a major .wall portions near the bases thereof as generally l0 indicated at points I3 and I4, Fig.` 1;l infact, Wall portion I 0a. is substantially a continuation of portion 23a, Figs. 3 to 5, of the outer triangular wall. A similar relationexists `between the back triangular wall 26 and the back .doublewall `II as 1 5 shown in Fig. 2. The apexes I5 andV i6 (Figsil and 3) of the inner and outer-triangular wall portions 5 nd` 6 are eliminated adjacent the point of said `merger between the triangular portions 5 and 6 and the double walls I0 and I I, this elirni-` i 20 nation being by reason of a substantial size opening I 9 extending' transversely throughweb i'I `and a portion of the triangular walls.- The'edge of; this opening as shown in Figs. 1 and 5 is provided with a `raised bead 20 adjacent the outer 25 walls 22 and 23 of the triangular hollow `portion and as these beads continue around the edge yof said opening I9 they form on `the rightside of `opening I9 `a substantial flange or 'rib 24 across the single disc webl. The beadremains un-.f30

changed in passing around theleft` side of opening I9 which side has a depthv equal to the distance between the double walls I0 `and I I. A transverse web 2| notonly connects; the'double walls adjacent the left side vof opening I 9 -but: also vforms.,35

one wall thereforopposite to flange 24.'- The inner Walls 25 and .26 of fsaid triangular portions are also provided with` an edge bead 21 which howevervextends' with, uniform .sizeaacross the backside Vof disc 1. The rib 24vmerges with bead= 40 2'I adjacent disc` I,` -therebyi providing` a wall Vof substantial axial` depth across 4the discL'Iim'Ihe foregoingy intersecting relation' of vopening* I-9 to the triangular'walls provides/,J substantial :radial openings 29 and 30 whereby notonly` mayv core` 45 material be freely `and 1 thoroughly removed from the h ollow space within the triangular walls-with no reductionin strength butfwth-Y some reduction in weight.v I f ings are provided at 33, 34 and 35, A except that these openings as shown in Fig. 4 -extend radially inwardly a greater distance in outer wall-,22 than into lower wall 25, therebycausing a portion 36 of inner Wall 25tofbe seenlinFig/Lwlfhe bead 55 As shown in Fig. 2, the vouter wall I0 lhas-a 5 A series y of4 similar but somewhatlarger `open- 50 and ribv construction of these additional `openings is the same for opening I9 except that both sides of openings 33, 34 and 35 have ribs such as 24. In view of the otherwise similarity the same reference numbers are used for corresponding parts.

Interposed between each pair of adjacent openings is a radial rib 38 which as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 extends across disc I and thence over a substantial -distance of outer walls 22 and 23 so that the edge of the rib smoothly merges with Athe surfaces of the base portions 22a and 23a of such walls. Ribs 39, Fig. 3, are similarly formed on the under side of disc I substantially in alignment with ribs 38 so as to form an axial continuation vat 46 and a cover plate 4'I.

thereof. It will be noted, however, that rib-s 39 extend for substantially the full length of the lnner Wall 25.

It will be noted from Fig. 3 that the disc portion 'I and inner walls 25 and 26 form a smooth gradually curved continuation of one another whereas the outer walls 22 and 23 merge with said gradually curving wall to form the shoulder'like apexes I5 and I6. This structure is accomplished by providing the triangular walls with a hollow interior 40 of somewhat elliptical shape, thereby providing an outer wall 22 of substantially uniform thickness throughout -its length whereas the inner wall 25 becomes of increasing thickness as indicated at 4I in approaching its juncture with the hubs and their neck 3. In this manner the relatively heavy hubs are joined to the relatively thin disc and back walls 1 and 25 by a gradually tapering construction that minimizes shrinkage strains whereas the outer walls 22 of the inner The foregoing general principles of construction are continued through that circumferential portion of the wheel containing acounterbalance pocket generally indicated at 43, Fig. l. This pocket comprises as shown in Fig. 6 an inner flat wall 44 and a horizontal wall 45 with vusual reinforcing ribs and flanges generally indicated An opening 48 may be formed in each of the transverse ribs 45 to permit proper distribution of the molten counterweight material when poured into the pocket.

" planes of the Wheel except for two relatively small openings 53Y and 54v extending through each of the walls 50 and 5I. One end of these openings is formed by horizontalpocket wall 45. Thus core material may be readily' and completely removedv fro-m between walls 50 and 5I while vat y the same time insuring maximum strength of From the forego-ing disclosure it is seen that I have provided a locomotive driving wheel that is of maximum strength consistent with minimum weight and is materially free from shrinkage strains while at the same time permitting 5 economical manufacture andl thorough inspection of all Walls on both sides thereof. As a result of these features, wheels of lighter weight and with a maximum factor of safety can be produced because with my improved arrange- 10 changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

`l. A locomotive driving wheel having axle and crankpin hubs, a rim, spaced walls arranged in substantially triangular relation to each other Yand extending around at least a portion of said hubs and similar triangularly arranged walls extending around at least a portion of said rim,

and a single disc wall substantially forming `a. continuation of one side of the triangularly arranged'walls located on one side of the wheel while the apex end of one of theopposing triangularly arranged walls is offset from said disc and turns axially into the saine to form an annular-like shoulder defining the apex for said opposing wall.

2. A locomotive driving wheel having axle and crankpin hubs, a rim, and means connecting said rim and hubs including spaced walls arranged in substantially triangular relation to each other and extending varound at least a portion of said hubs and a disc portion extending radially outward from the 'apex of said triangularly arranged 40 walls, one of said walls and said disc having a common opening intersecting the apex of said triangularly arranged Walls to provide a radial passage into the hollow interior formed between the spaced walls. A

3. A locomotive driving wheel having axle and crankpin hubs, a rim, and means connecting said rim and hubs including spaced walls arranged in substantially triangular relation to each other and extending around at least a portion of said hubs and a disc portion extending radially outward from the apex of said triangularly arranged walls, one of said walls and said disc having a common lopening which intersects the apex of said triangularly arranged walls to provide a radial passageinto the hollow interior formed between the spaced walls and a flange adjacent the edge of said opening where lit passes through said disc.

4. A locomotive driving wheel having axle andy 50 crankpin hubs, a rim, means connecting said rim and hubs including spaced walls arranged in substantially `triangular relation to each other and extending. around at least a portion of said hubs and a disc portion extending radially'outwardi5 from the apex of said triangularly arranged Walls, one of saidwalls and said disc having an opening adjacent the apex of said triangularly arranged walls and a flange adjacent the edge of said opening'where it passes through said disc/70 and ribs circumferentially spaced from said opening and extending across the disc wall and connecting with a substantial portion of said triangularly arranged walls.

5. A locomotive driving wheel comprising, inl

combination, axle and crankpin hubs, a rim, and means connecting said hubs and rim including inner spaced walls arranged in substantially triangular form extending around at least a portion of said hubs and similar outer spaced Walls arranged in triangular form extending around at least a portion of the rim, and a single disc Wall connecting the apexes of said triangularly arranged portions, said. disc Wall and said inner and outer triangularly arranged Walls having a common opening extending therethrough so that a portion of each of the triangularly arranged walls adjacent said apexes are removed to form oppositely extending radial openings into the spaced Walls.

6. 'I'he combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that each of said triangularly arranged walls have their apexes formed in the manner of said axially turned offset portion to form annular like shoulders, and integral radial ribs extending radially from said inwardly turned shouldered portions of said triangularly arranged Walls and across said disc Wall.

, 7. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said disc Wall has an opening intersecting one of the shouldered wall portions for a substantial distance radially inwardly from the apex while the opposing Wall of said triangularly arranged portion continues substantially solidly out to the apex.

8. 'Ihe combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said disc wall has an opening which substantially equally intersects both Walls of the triangularly arranged portion adjacent the rim.

CHARLES E. HEILIG. 

